ISLAMABAD, Aug 26 (APP): Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday constituted National Coordination Committee on Tourism (NCCT) to oversee implementation of National Tourism Strategy aimed at boosting tourism along with creation of employment and poverty reduction.
With Special Assistant to PM on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Sayed Zulfikar Abbas Bukhari as its convener, the committee comprises members including secretaries or representatives from Ministries of Industries and Production, Interior, Defence, Communications, Aviation, Religious Affairs and Inter-faith Harmony and Climate Change, all Chief or Additional Secretaries, Chairman Evacuee Trust Property Board, Deputy Governor State Bank of Pakistan and Managing Director Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation.
The committee will act as a focal point for inter-provincial, inter-ministerial, inter-department and inter-agency coordination to resolve implementation issues with respect to tourism sector development.
With secretarial support of Cabinet Division, the committee will review integration of provincial and regional policies regarding actions towards implementation of National Tourism Strategy.
SAPM Sayed Zulfikar Bukhari will brief the Prime Minister fortnightly on overall progress on implementation of his directives as the committee meets every two weeks.
The committee has been tasked to do geo-mapping of all tourist spots and profiling of hospitality business, related products and services.
The newly set up body will also identify policy and legislative impediments in tourism development and give concrete recommendations to create an enabling environment for the sector.
The committee will devise an effective regulatory and implementation mechanism of National Minimum Standards while ensuring its monitoring and coordination with all stakeholders for strict compliance.
It will work on promoting tourism investment through public-private partnership, Small and Medium Enterprises and with access to capital besides overseeing availability of International Standard Feasibility for viable projects.
The committee will devise a strategy to ensure affordable domestic tourism in a systemic manner.
Other areas of work include suggestions on formal training for skilled human resource development and issuing instructions to relevant ministries, departments and stakeholders for coordination.
